Naam Prik Ong (Thai tomato chili sauce with minced pork)

Nam prik ong is a spicy tomato based dipping sauce served with raw and steamed vegetables and is one of Northern Thailand’s signature dishes. While the dish is traditionally made very spicy, those who don’t tolerate high levels of heat may choose to reduce the chili as desired or even leave it out altogether.

This dipping sauce is a local food from Northern Thailand, whose cuisine has been heavily influenced by Burmese cuisine and is also one of the favorite dishes of Thai people from that region (think Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai). If you have a chance to travel to the North of Thailand I’m sure you will have a chance to try this recipe too because it is such a typical dish for Northern Thai people and can be found in many many restaurants.

Nam Prik Ong recipe

• 100 gram minced pork
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 5-7 Thai whole dried chile, soaked in water
• 3 tbsp coarsely sliced shallot
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp Thai Fresh Lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Thai Shrimp Paste
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander and spring onion
• vegetables : cucumber, yard long beans, cabbage

Put chillies, salt and lemon grass in a mortar and pound thoroughly. Add onion, 5 cloves garlic and shrimp paste and pound well again.

Follow with minced pork and tomatoes. Pound lightly with each addition to mix the pork and tomatoes well with the chillies.

Place the oil in a wok over medium heat until it begins to shimmer and saute the garlic in the oil until golden and fragrant. Reduce the heat and then add the pork mixture. Stir until fragrant and a red film from the oil in the chili’s comes to the surface. Add water and season to taste with sugar, continue cooking until most of the liquid reduces and the chili paste becomes fairly thick. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish with chopped coriander and spring onion. Serve with fresh vegetables, rice and enjoy!

For Thai people they usually have this chili sauce with boiled vegetables, so you might try this recipe with boiled vegetables like yard-long bean, eggplant, winged bean or pumpkin. It’s not too bad served on top of plain rice as well!

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2. Thai Chili’s
3. Tom Yum Kai Nam Kon (Thai Creamy hot and sour chicken soup)
4. Grillled Chicken Breasts with Ancho Chili Sauce and Pico De Gallo
5. Grilled Filet Mignon with Blackened Tomato and Oregano Sauce
6. Medallions of Pork with Dried Cherry Sauce
7. Vegetable Stir-fry with Garlic-Miso Sauce